Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, June 27, 2021
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: When we return from our suffering, we are changed, often for the better.
When we are suffering, it can seem the long night will never end. We can wonder if God cares or even knows. We can despair that we might never be restored to normal.
And we won’t ever be the same as we once were. The Psalmist speaks of the journey that changes us. They cried in their suffering. They were angry. They bargained—who will praise you, God, if I perish? They accepted the new reality, and then they rejoiced.
The journey of grief and suffering brings us to a new place. In our suffering, we are often changed for the better. We have the opportunity to cultivate resilience. Our soul’s muscles tear and are repaired stronger. With each new cycle of suffering and restoration, we acknowledge that we will survive and even thrive, so that the next time we are faced with suffering, we can draw upon our experience to know that we will make it through.
And on the other side, we can again dance and rejoice. It will never be the same dance. But it can be a more seasoned, grounded, and confident dance. We can once again sing, “my soul may praise you and not be silent.”
![1 Kings 17:1-16 [17-24], God’s Care for the Widow](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56b39b61ab48de92d991a40a/bf37035e-33d5-439f-a0d6-a68b02d0f1bc/24-11-03.jpg)
